We are The Band

Hello!

               So in this post I’m going to be talking about the band. Probably the most stereotypically nerdy thing a person could do in high school. But over the past few years I’ve also found that it can be one of the most enjoyable things. So this is about the pros and cons of being part of the band.

               Being part of the band is a lot of work. It’s pretty much a sport, and some people even do “real” sports on top of that. You practice during first hour five days out of the week, and then Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays you have a two to three hour practice as well. Then your Fridays from 5:30 until 10:30 are consumed by football. And then on Saturdays you have to be back at school at 7 or 8, and you won’t get back to school until 1:30 the next morning. It is also pretty hard work, on top of the massive time commitment. You’ve got to both be able to run around and play your instrument at the same time, as well as remember your music and where you’re supposed to be running to. Definitely a lot harder than it looks.

               The fun parts of band are awesome, though. They totally make up for all of the work. First off, you get to meet over 100 new people, and you get to know them really, really, really well. Spending close to 15 hours a week with them will do that for you. So after these people turn into your close friends, spending that fifteen hours a week with them really doesn’t seem that bad. The 4 hour bus rides are actually surprisingly fun, too. I don’t know how, but everything is just so much funnier at 1 o’clock in the morning, especially on a nice charter bus.

               And on top of all of that, you get to learn a bunch of new skills. Playing an instrument, for example. Marching in step with everyone else is another. Plus you get a mental and physical workout pretty much every day of the week, which isn’t too bad. So all-in-all, I’d say the benefits of band totally outweigh the downsides. I mean, why would 120 or so people stay in it for four years in a row if it wasn’t worth their time? I’d recommend it to anyone, whether they’re looking to learn something new or just have fun.

Thanks for reading!

Matthew Finley